BOTH REVELATIONS PUT US ON THE ROCK

October 18, 2009 am
MF Blume


Matthew 16:13-20 KJV  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?  (14)  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.  (15)  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  (16)  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  (17)  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  (18)  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  (19)  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  (20)  Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

The disciples came to a very crucial and significant point in their walks with Jesus.

Then Jesus said "AND I SAY ALSO UNTO THEE."

Jesus also spoke of building his church like a house on the Rock.

He said things later on which actually bring out the full meaning of this gates of the grave issue.

But notice here that after Jesus commented on Peter's revelation from the Father, we read none of them were to rob others of that experience.

(16)  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  

(20)  Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Obviously He wanted others to get a revelation from God about this as well.

Then Jesus begins to speak some words he never revealed to them before.

Matthew 16:21-22 KJV  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.  (22)  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Distinguishing that precise point in their walks with Him, when Peter got a direct revelation from God, we read FROM THAT TIME FORTH.

And Peter fights this second revelation.

Peter was not telling Jesus to refuse to experience this for Jesus' sake, but FOR HIMSELF and his own neck.

Notice that Jesus spoke of building His Church on the Rock.

Who is the rock?

1 Corinthians 3:11 KJV  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Some think it is Peter, but Peter himself said:

1 Peter 2:6-7 KJV  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.  (7)  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

There is something special about the RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE ROCK UPON WHICH THE CHURCH IS BUILT.

And for Him to speak of the church on the rock as well as THE GATES OF HELL NOT PREVAILING AGAINST THAT CHURCH, we see that a note of DEATH and RESURRECTION is involved in all of this. 

HELL, when translated from the Greek term GEHENNA, means fire and suffering and torment.

HELL, when translated from the Greek word HADES, means something very different.

So when Jesus said that the gates of THE GRAVE would not prevail against the church built on the rock, HE IS SAYING THERE IS A POWER OF RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD involved in the church's position on the rock.

If death's gates cannot lock people in and hold them back, that means they experience resurrection from death!

And that is the reason that Jesus speaks of suffering, dying and rising from the dead after he mentioned this.

If Peter had gotten the words of Jesus, He would not have screamed for Jesus to forget about dying because he would not have been worried about his own neck in facing death due to FOLLOWING JESUS.

When you know Jesus has power over death in resurrection glory, and you are built on Him, then you also share that power against death that is called resurrection.

AIN'T NO GRAVE GOING TO HOLD MY BODY DOWN!

Matthew 16:23 KJV  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

And after Jesus said THOU ART PETER, when Peter got the first revelation from the Father, Jesus calls him SATAN!

Notice the story has now taken a turn to refer once again to IDENTITIES just as the story began with Peter getting a revelation of JESUS' IDENTITY.

And this point of identities is very important.

Jesus did not speak to him as though he was PETER.

Peter resisted the things that be of God.

And just as Jesus compared how His resurrection power against the grave is shared by the church built on top of Him as the church's foundation, Jesus speaks of how THEY MUST TAKE UP CROSSES as He would do when He would die.

Matthew 16:24-26 KJV  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  (25)  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  (26)  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

YOU MUST FOLLOW HIM.

In fact, Jesus said some of them would not taste death by taking up their crosses then, but would taste it later when He would come in destruction.

Matthew 16:27-28 KJV  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.  (28)  Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

This is not speaking of the future coming of Jesus that we anticipate today in our time of 2009.

He was saying some of you will not deny yourselves now, and die spiritually, but will die later in a death from which you cannot get your life back again.

This is precisely what Jesus referred to in Matthew 21.

Matthew 21:40-45 KJV  When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?  (41)  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.  (42)  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?  (43)  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.  (44)  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.  (45)  And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

Notice the LORD COMES and the THE STONE IS A STONE OF DESTRUCTION, and the pharisees knew Jesus spoke of this happening to them in their lifetimes.

Some references to HIS COMING do not refer to the future coming, but to a coming 2000 years ago in destruction against Jerusalem.

Referring to the ROCK and KNOWING JESUS, notice this:

Matthew 7:21-24 KJV  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  (24)  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Notice these people HAVE A REVELATION OF WHO JESUS IS.

The reason the gates of the grave cannot prevail against the church on the rock is because WHEN YOU DENY YOURSELF AND FOLLOW JESUS WITH YOUR CROSS, YOU MAY DIE BUT FIND YOUR LIFE AGAIN.

Jesus said this after speaking about FRUIT and FALSE PROPHETS.

And when Paul spoke of fruit of the Spirit and works of the flesh, he also said something that goes right along with this.

Galatians 5:24 KJV  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

And Paul said something else to Timothy in a chapter about resurrection and those who say it won't happen.

2 Timothy 2:18-19 KJV  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.  (19)  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Like Matt 7, we see a FOUNDATION/ROCK.

All three points of a rock foundation, knowing, and iniquity are seen in these two chapters.

And putting Matt 7 together with 2 Tim 2, we get this overall product of understanding:  

And the wonderful experience is that you got the first revelation AND KNOW WHO JESUS IS.

Recall that I spoke of the importance of IDENTITIES when we read where Jesus called Peter "satan".

We need to know Jesus, by getting a revelation from the Father about His identity.

WHEN WE UNITE TO JESUS in a spiritual marriage by dying and resurrecting with Him, WE TAKE UPON US HIS IDENTITY.